The invention relates to a support apparatus, a handling system and a method. Specifically, but not exclusively, the invention relates to the handling of winding shafts, machine reels and rolls.
In paper manufacturing lines, paper manufacturing operates as a continuous process. The paper web being output from the paper machine is wound with a winder around a winding shaft, i.e. a reel spool, into a machine reel, the diameter of which may be more than 5 meters and which may weigh more than 160 tons. The purpose of the winding is to transfer the paper web from its planar manufacturing form into a form in which it can be handled more easily. At the winder, which is located in the main machine line, the continuous process of the paper machine is interrupted for the first time, after which the process continues in stages. Every attempt is made to interlink these stages as smoothly as possible so that the work already performed would not be wasted.
The web of the machine reel generated during paper manufacture is full-width and even more than 100 km long, so it must be cut into partial webs of a suitable width and length for customers and wound around cores into “customer rolls” before dispatch from the paper mill. As known, this slitting and winding of the web takes place in a separate machine fitted to the purpose, i.e., a slitter-winder.
In the slitter-winder, the machine reel is unwound, the broad web is slit with the slitting section into a number of narrower partial webs, which are wound with the winding section around winding spools, such as cores, into customer rolls. When the customer rolls are ready, the slitter-winder is stopped and the rolls, or “set”, is removed from the machine. After this, the process continues with the winding of a new set. These stages are repeated periodically until the paper on the machine reel runs out, at which point the machine reel is replaced and the operation restarts with the winding of a new machine reel.
In known fast-running paper manufacturing lines, the paper machine may produce more paper than a single slitter-winder is able to process, in which case more than one slitter-winder is needed in the paper manufacturing line. In some applications, the slitter-winders are located sequentially in the direction of the machine line at a certain distance from each other.
In known layout arrangements for paper manufacturing lines, the first slitter-winder is typically arranged as an “inline” slitter-winder, which means that the slitter-winder is aligned with the paper machine and the winder, i.e., located in the main machine line. The second slitter-winder is an “offline” slitter-winder, which may be positioned side by side or aligned with the paper machine after the first slitter-winder. Both slitter-winders output customer rolls, which are normally first conveyed with roll conveyors to, e.g., a roll packaging machine for packaging and finally to storage before being sent to customers.
In a manufacturing process of a fiber web, in winding, the transfer of a machine reel forwards in the process typically takes place rolling along rails either on the basis of gravity (inclined rails) or moved by a separate transfer device. The move forward from the winder may also be carried out using a lifting device, such as a hoist. The machine reel is normally conveyed with a hoist to such a slitter-winder that is not connected to the paper machine with transfer rails and lowered to transfer rails, which are typically positioned so that the height of the machine reel's center from the floor surface is about 2.5 meters. A minimum distance of 500 mm is typically applied as a safety distance between the machine reel and the surface below the machine reel, such as the floor surface. In applications where the winder of the paper machine and the slitter-winder are connected to each other with transfer rails inline, the machine reel is transferred along the transfer rails from the winder to the slitter-winder.
In the simplest implementation, particularly in the case of small machine reels, the machine reel may also be conveyed with a hoist directly to an unwind stand.
The transfer rails for full machine reels consist of horizontal or inclined rails with stand-by stations. Along transfer rails, the machine reel is transferred from one stand-by station to another until the unwinding station is reached. With horizontal transfer rails, the machine reel is transferred from one stand-by station to another by means of a transfer device, and with inclined transfer rails, by means of rolling based on gravity and stop and release mechanisms.
An unwinding station typically consists of an unwind stand which holds the machine reel up during unwinding. The unwind stand comprises a first unwind stand on the driving side and another unwind stand on the tending side. The ends of the machine reel are on these unwind stands during unwinding. Locking arms are fastened to the unwind stand with joints; the arms are used for locking the machine reel in place during unwinding. A machine reel located in an unwinding station is connected to a brake generator, which functions as a drive of the unwinder.
Generally, a winding shaft emptied as a result of unwinding is removed from the unwinding station either through manual lifting with a hoist or automatically with a winding shaft handling apparatus. A winding shaft handling apparatus consists of either vertical lifting devices or rotatable lifting arms and return rails for empty winding shafts, located above. An empty or nearly empty winding shaft is lifted with a lifting device or with lifting arms to return rails, which normally have a number of return positions. Typically, a return station (a winding shaft storage) is located above the unwinding or the slitting and winding section. Along the return rails, the winding shaft is transferred from one station to another either by means of a transfer device or by means of rolling based on gravity, using stop and release mechanisms. The empty winding shaft is removed from the return rails and moved to the winder of the paper machine with a hoist. In an inline solution, the return rails may also be connected directly to a winder's winding shaft storage rails, whereby the winding shaft may be transferred directly from the slitter-winder to the winder.
To ensure a smooth continuity of the process, storage spaces are needed in the slitter-winder area for full machine reels, partly filled machine reels and empty winding shafts. As known, such storage spaces at the finishing end of the fiber web manufacturing line are located in the main machine line between the main devices of the manufacturing process in the winding and slitting-winding area of the fiber web, i.e., between the slitter-winders, unwinders of slitter-winders, coating machines or calenders, and the windup belonging to the paper machine or a coating machine. The storage of the machine reels takes place on storage stands, transfer/storage rails or, in the worst case, on the floor.
If a machine reel must be moved in the lateral direction from a rail line defined by a windup to, e.g., another slitter, which may be located in an aisle of the building, a machine reel cart supported on a floor by means of rails is typically used for the lateral transfer, in which case the machine reel is loaded from the end of the transfer rails or lifted with a hoist.
The reel cart (e.g., OptiCart, ValCart brands) integrates the functions of a steel structure sufficient for supporting the heavy machine reel, in some cases, an apparatus section necessary for moving the machine reel, an energy transfer/storage arrangement necessary for producing kinetic energy, actuators necessary for receiving and handing over the machine reel and their power supply, and safety devices to secure the automated functions.
With a machine reel cart movable on rails, it is possible to move and hand over machine reels on the rails of the receiving station or to be lifted with a hoist. A cart provided with fixed rails may only operate in a certain area defined by the rails. Furthermore, the driving order of the machine reels cannot be changed with reel carts; rather, when changing the driving order, machines reels must be lifted with a hoist.
Currently, “fixed winding stands” are used in unwinders and windups, whereby machine reels and winding shafts are locked on the stand using locking jaws for the duration of winding. The machine reel or the winding shaft is brought to the stands either by rolling along rails or with a hoist. After the winding, the machine reel or winding shaft is moved away from the stand by means of a transfer device, for example. The winding station has a drive and provides a possibility to deviate the reel in the lateral direction either throughout the winding or at one time as a lateral shift before the winding is begun. The maximum range of the lateral shift is typically +−50 mm. The lateral shift is an integrated function of the winding stand.
It is possible to use automatic splicing devices and automatic splicing methods at the unwinders and windups.
The winding shaft handling solutions implemented in the prior art are inflexible. For example, it may be difficult to make paths of winding shaft and machine reel transfer carts, transfer rails, and transfer and conveyance routes of gantry cranes adjust to changing needs, such as the needs of the cycling process of machine reels in a flexible way. It is difficult to turn winding shafts and machine reels with transfer carts that are supported on rails and/or wheels. The moving and turning of winding shafts and machine reels imposes special requirements and takes room with transfer carts that are supported on rails and/or wheels. It may be difficult to change the order of the machine reels with transfer carts. The handling solutions for winding shafts require expensive concrete and steel beam structures implemented according to the full machine reel in order to hold up lifting devices, such as hoists. The hoist capacity may be reserved, in which case the hoist may not be able to respond to transfer needs at a short notice.
EP 1266091 B1 discloses a transfer cart supported on a floor, used for transferring machine reels at the height of transfer rails for machine reels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,039 discloses an air cushion element for an air cushion transport apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,710 discloses an air cushion transport device whereby a customer roll to be moved is supported from the lower surface of the outer circumference of the customer roll.